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FFL: Week 7 | NFL: Week 7

WR Strength of Schedule

Fri May 31 10:52am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer

Related photo caption below

Lamb could top last season


Using our rules for our money leagues, we came up with a schedule strength ranking for the receiver position. We are using our fantasy defenses report to calculate the rankings. This report can be found in all of our leagues under the "reports" heading. We took the schedule of each team and entered the average number of fantasy points allowed to receivers last season from all of their opponents to get our fantasy points allowed number. This is a good indication of the receivers with the most favorable schedules for fantasy scoring for the coming season. Defenses obviously change from year to year, but knowing the receivers that might have the easiest schedule for fantasy is always a good idea when formulating your rankings and draft strategy.

  WR SOS  
1. Denver Broncos 531.34
2. Los Angeles Chargers 536.08
3. Miami Dolphins 537.31
4. Kansas City Chiefs 549.96
5. Las Vegas Raiders 552.89
6. Pittsburgh Steelers 554.85
7. New England Patriots 555.93
8. Buffalo Bills 556.13
9. Houston Texans 561.75
10. San Francisco 49ers 565.73
11. New Orleans Saints 566.06
12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 566.19
13. Cincinnati Bengals 566.32
14. Jacksonville Jaguars 570.07
15. Baltimore Ravens 571.77
16. Seattle Seahawks 573.41
17. Minnesota Vikings 573.91
18. Philadelphia Eagles 574.46
19. Carolina Panthers 575.49
20. Los Angeles Rams 575.79
21. Washington Commanders 575.91
22. Detroit Lions 576.36
23. Atlanta Falcons 577.76
24. New York Jets 577.99
25. Tennessee Titans 578.06
26. Indianapolis Colts 578.18
27. Cleveland Browns 583.5
28. Arizona Cardinals 586.09
29. New York Giants 586.93
30. Chicago Bears 601.21
31. Dallas Cowboys 608.4
32. Green Bay Packers 610.22

 

The Packers have the easiest fantasy schedule for receivers. Jayden Reed and Christian Watson could be setup for career best seasons with this schedule. These are guys you can get a little later come draft day and mid-round options that could be difference makers for fantasy owners.

CeeDee Lamb is considered the No. 1 overall fantasy receiver for many and his schedule helps make that claim even stronger. Lamb has the second most favorable schedule for receivers. Lamb was huge last year and could improve on that even more, especially since the Cowboys could struggle to run the ball with their current options.

The Bears, Giants and Cardinals also round out the top-five most favorable receiver schedules. Chicago has a great trio of receivers with D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen and rookie Rome Odunze.  These guys could produce big as long as rookie Caleb Williams gets the job done at quarterback in year one. Moore has more to compete with for targets this year, but you still have to like his chances for a big season in year two with the Bears.

The Giants and Cardinals both have some question marks at receiver, but a couple rookies lead the way for both teams. Malik Nabers and Marvin Harrison could have big rookie seasons with their new teams. These guys both have a chance to lead all rookie fantasy receivers in scoring.

On the opposite side of things, the Broncos have the most challenging schedule for receivers. The Broncos have all sorts of questions at receiver outside of Courtland Sutton. This is a unit of receivers you just might want to avoid come draft day. This schedule won’t make anything easier for this group.

The Chargers are a similar team to the Broncos, having openings and questions at receiver. So once again, it might be best to let someone else put Chargers receivers on their roster. Plus, the Chargers could be a lot more run heavy with a new coach running the show. The tough schedule and new offense make taking any Chargers receiver a bit of a risk.

There are two really good offenses on the list that have tough schedules for receivers. Both the Dolphins and Chiefs have a top-five least favorable schedule for receivers. The Dolphins have one of the best receiver duos in football, so it is tough to fade them because of this schedule. Both Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle should be able to produce big numbers once again in this offense.

The Chiefs are a little more concerning. This offense is a little matchup proof, but don’t have that elite receiver on their roster. Rashee Rice and Marquise Brown lead the way. Brown hasn’t been great in recent seasons and Rice is facing a suspension. These guys will carry some risk come draft day, especially after seeing this schedule.

Davante Adams is usually another star receiver that is matchup proof, but you have to wonder a little this year. He has some question marks at quarterback, which could hurt his production when you pair it with this schedule. Adams is dealing with the fifth toughest fantasy schedule for receivers.

We also wanted to look at playoff schedules for fantasy receivers. So we crunched the numbers of all the schedules from Week 14-17, which is the fantasy playoffs for most leagues. We know you have to get to the playoffs first, but knowing the receivers with the easiest playoff schedules doesn’t hurt by any means, especially in the big money contests.

  WR PLAYOFF SOS  
1. Los Angeles Rams 501.93
2. Jacksonville Jaguars 515.53
3. Kansas City Chiefs 519.43
4. New York Giants 521.63
5. Miami Dolphins 532.77
6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 534.53
7. Houston Texans 538
8. Buffalo Bills 540.87
9. Las Vegas Raiders 541.9
10. Carolina Panthers 549.33
11. Cincinnati Bengals 552.17
12. Detroit Lions 553.73
13. Arizona Cardinals 555.27
14. Cleveland Browns 555.4
15. Minnesota Vikings 560.93
16. New England Patriots 573.03
17. Los Angeles Chargers 573.1
18. Tennessee Titans 575.17
19. Baltimore Ravens 581.27
20. Seattle Seahawks 585.08
21. New York Jets 585.5
22. Denver Broncos 587.2
23. Pittsburgh Steelers 587.8
24. Philadelphia Eagles 589.73
25. Green Bay Packers 590.85
26. Washington Commanders 591.57
27. New Orleans Saints 604.13
28. Dallas Cowboys 609.73
29. Indianapolis Colts 614
30. San Francisco 49ers 641.53
31. Atlanta Falcons 644.93
32. Chicago Bears 647.98

 

The Bears and Cowboys are the teams that make both the top five easiest receiver schedules for both the regular season and playoffs. Chicago has the easiest for the entire playoffs. Once again, their top trio of receivers are looking pretty good come draft day.

Lamb continues to make his case to be the first receiver selected come draft day. He could have a monster season and finish strong as well with the fifth easiest schedule for the playoffs. Lamb might be the most surefire first-round pick come draft day.

The Falcons, 49ers and Colts also have a top-five favorable playoff schedule for receivers. Atlanta receivers were looking up to begin with, getting a legit quarterback throwing them passes this year. And this schedule makes their options look even better, especially Drake London. He could have a breakout season.

San Francisco has great options at receiver in Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel. They are pretty safe picks come draft day. And they get a very favorable playoff schedule that could make them even more appealing to fantasy owners. These guys both have really solid floors come draft day in this offense.

Michael Pittman keeps getting it done as the No. 1 option for the Colts. If Anthony Richardson can become that true No. 1 at quarterback for Indy, Pittman would look even better. Pittman has produced in recent year despite having some quarterback issues. His game could go to a higher level this year if Richardson breaks out. Pittman could be a league winner if everything breaks his way in 2024.

The Chiefs and Dolphins are two of the best offenses in football but also the only two teams to make the top five most unfavorable receiver schedules for both the regular season and playoffs. This is a tad concerning for both teams, Again, it is tough to bet against Hill, but maybe you drop him down your rankings just few spots behind the other elite guys because of this. You hate to use an early round pick on a receiver to see him maybe not produce what he should come playoff time.

And as mentioned with the Chiefs, their top two receivers already face a few question marks, so maybe their tough schedules make them players to let someone else draft. Both Brown and Rice could be a little erratic.

The Rams actually have the toughest playoff schedule for receivers. They are another team with two of the best receivers in football. It is tough to bet against either Puka Nacua or Cooper Kupp, but the playoff schedule is a little scary, especially for Kupp. He seems to be trending down at this stage of his career.

The Jaguars and Giants are the two other teams with a top-five unfavorable fantasy schedule for the playoffs. The Jags have Christian Kirk and Gabriel Davis as their top two receivers. Kirk is normally pretty steady but Davis can be boom or bust. Seeing his playoff schedule should bump him down a few spots in your rankings. It could be more of the same for Davis with his new team.

And the Giants are an outlier here, having an easy schedule for receivers during the regular season but the fourth toughest for the playoffs. This makes it tough come draft day. Their receivers could be good values for the regular season but disappoint when it counts. You do have to just make the playoffs, though, so we aren’t sure we shy away from Giant receivers just because of their tough playoff schedule. You still might be able to get good value with their options that help you win during the season.

Jeff Paur is a two-time finalist for FSWA Fantasy Football Writer of the Year and won the FSWA award for Best Fantasy Football Article on the Web in 2011. He also was the most accurate expert in 2012, winning the FSTA Fantasy Football Accuracy Award. If you have any questions for Jeff, email him at jeff@rtsports.com. Follow Jeff on Twitter @jeffpaur.

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Player Notes
D.K. Metcalf Oct 20 8:10pm ET
D.K. Metcalf

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf (knee) caught four of seven targets for 99 yards and a touchdown in Week 7 against the Atlanta Falcons. Metcalf was on his way to another monster game if he had not gone down with a knee injury in the second half. He was carted to the locker room which left a shred of doubt in the mind of fantasy managers. However, it sounds like the injury may not have been serious. Head coach Mike Macdonald stated after the game that "It doesn't look too bad". That is great news for fantasy managers who have been relying on Metcalf this season. He has been an excellent fantasy asset in 2024 and has been having arguably his best season since his sophomore season when he recorded 1,303 receiving yards and ten touchdowns. If Metcalf suffered a simple injury, then he should be deployed once again in Week 8. However, this situation is one to monitor as Metcalf will likely have a cap on his reps in practice throughout this upcoming week.

From RotoBaller

Jalen Hurts Oct 20 8:10pm ET
Jalen Hurts

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts completed 10 of 14 pass attempts for 114 yards and a touchdown, adding 22 yards on seven carries with two successful Philly Special touchdown runs during the team's 28-3 win over the New York Giants. While the offense failed to score in the first quarter for the sixth time, Hurts ripped off a ton of scoring on efficient low passing numbers to lead to a great fantasy performance. The Eagles leaned heavily on Saquon Barkley in this game, rightfully so, leading to Hurts throwing just 10 completions. However, he scored three times and will finish the week as a top-five fantasy quarterback. Most importantly, the 26-year-old has his second straight game with zero turnovers, and that was while being sacked five times. It is nice to see Hurts score as much as he did while passing fewer than 15 times, and he will continue to be a must-start next week when a suddenly alive Eagles offense takes on the Bengals in Cincinnati.

From RotoBaller

Kenneth Walker III Oct 20 8:10pm ET
Kenneth Walker III

Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III delivered for fantasy managers in Week 7 against the Atlanta Falcons. Walker finished with 69 rushing yards and a touchdown. He also caught both of his targets for 24 yards and a touchdown. Walker continues to get it done on the ground and through the air in 2024. He currently sits as the RB11 on the season despite having missed two games due to injury. His involvement in the passing game has helped propel Walker into the high-end RB1 conversation this season. He is also scoring touchdowns like crazy. He has scored in four of the five games he has played in. He has seven total touchdowns on the season. The Seahawks offense clearly runs through Walker and wide receiver DK Metcalf (knee). Things show no signs of slowing down for Walker as backup running back Zach Charbonnet has hardly seen time on the field outside of garbage time when Walker is healthy. Walker will draw a nice matchup in Week 8 against the Buffalo Bills and should be treated as a high-end RB1.

From RotoBaller

Geno Smith Oct 20 8:10pm ET
Geno Smith

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith finally threw for more than one touchdown in a game in Sunday's win over the Atlanta Falcons. The Seahawks dominated this game from the second quarter on. Smith finished the game with 207 passing yards and two touchdowns. Most importantly, Smith avoided throwing interceptions after throwing five in his previous four games. The game was encouraging for fantasy managers. Smith had been a solid streaming option for much of the season, however, it felt like there were a lot of plays left on the field. Week 7 helped change that narrative as the Seahawks' offense and defense worked in conjunction on the way to a great win. Hopefully, Smith can keep this momentum rolling in Week 8 against the Buffalo Bills.

From RotoBaller

Brandon Aiyuk Oct 20 8:00pm ET
Brandon Aiyuk

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) exited Sunday's loss to the Kansas City Chiefs after taking a hit to the knee in the first half. He was carted off the field before eventually being ruled out. Unfortunately, head coach Kyle Shanahan indicated that there is concern the wideout suffered an ACL tear. Aiyuk will likely undergo further testing, but it will take a miracle for him to be on the field for Sunday night's clash with the Dallas Cowboys. With Deebo Samuel Sr. (illness) and Jauan Jennings (hip) also uncertain for that one, George Kittle, Jacob Cowing, and Ricky Pearsall could see an uptick in attention from Brock Purdy.

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Austin Seibert Oct 20 7:50pm ET
Austin Seibert

Washington Commanders kicker Austin Seibert had a busy evening as he went 4-for-4 on attempts and 4-for-4 on extra-point attempts in their Week 7 blowout victory over the Carolina Panthers. After missing his first attempt last week, Siebert bounced back this weekend and continued his excellent campaign. The 27-year-old's longest attempt of the evening was from 49 yards out. Even though rookie sensation Jayden Daniels (ribs) left the game in the opening frame, the Washington offense looked just as potent, providing Seibert with ample scoring opportunities. Seibert remains a high-end kicker heading into a Week 8 tilt against the Chicago Bears.

From RotoBaller

Ray Davis Oct 20 7:50pm ET
Ray Davis

Buffalo Bills running back Ray Davis ran the football five times for 41 yards and a touchdown in the team's 34-10 victory over the Tennessee Titans. The rookie also caught one pass for six yards. Davis' touchdown came on Buffalo's final drive with under two minutes remaining. The fourth-round pick took the carry for 16 yards into paydirt. Most of Davis' production happened in the second half. James Cook returned to the lineup and dominated touches and snaps in the first half. Following his great stat line against the Jets, Davis cemented himself as one of the top handcuffs in fantasy football. Unless Cook suffers another injury, Davis should stay on fantasy football benches.

From RotoBaller

Dante Fowler Oct 20 7:50pm ET
Dante Fowler

The Washington Commanders defense enjoyed their best performance of the season against the Carolina Panthers. They held the Panthers to just seven points, their lowest total of the campaign. In addition, linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. got on the board early with a pick-six in the opening quarter off Andy Dalton. Fowler would also tally one of the two sacks, with linebacker Frankie Luvu registering the other. After struggling against Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry last weekend, the Commanders defense enjoyed a dominant performance this weekend. The Commanders remain a risky streaming option as they have been unable to find consistency through extended periods of the season. Next week, they will face rookie Caleb Williams, who has averaged 265.0 passing yards per game with six total scores in his past two games.

From RotoBaller

Roman Wilson Oct 20 7:50pm ET
Roman Wilson

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Roman Wilson (hamstring) is inactive for Sunday's meeting with the New York Jets. The 23-year-old made his debut against the Raiders, although he didn't do anything on the statistical end. But Wilson is now battling a hamstring injury, so he'll be back on the shelf for Week 7. He wasn't a vital component of the offense during his debut. But Wilson's absence could mean and extra target or two for George Pickens, Pat Freiermuth, and Calvin Austin III.

From RotoBaller

Keon Coleman Oct 20 7:40pm ET
Keon Coleman

Buffalo Bills rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman caught four of his seven targets for 125 yards in the team's 34-10 win over the Tennessee Titans. The rookie more than doubled his previous career-high mark for receiving yards. Most of his yardage came on two plays: a 44-yard catch-and-run in the second quarter and a 57-yard gain in the fourth. He nearly scored a touchdown on another play but was it overturned to incomplete after a review. The presence of Amari Cooper may have eased the defensive attention on Coleman, but the veteran will eventually eat into his snaps as well. The rookie will be a boom-or-bust wide receiver for fantasy football managers again in Week 8.

From RotoBaller

Tyler Conklin Oct 20 7:40pm ET
Tyler Conklin

New York Jets tight end Tyler Conklin (hip) will play on Sunday night against the Steelers. The veteran was questionable for this one because of a hip injury. However, he carried the same designation ahead of the Week 6 matchup with the Bills, so this update isn't surprising. With that said, Conklin has only 19 catches this season, so he's not a viable fantasy option. The arrival of Davante Adams also means he will see less attention from Aaron Rodgers moving ahead.

From RotoBaller

Zach Ertz Oct 20 7:40pm ET
Zach Ertz

Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz caught four of his five targets for 40 yards and a score in their victory over the Carolina Panthers. This was the first time Ertz found the end zone in the DMV. The veteran tight end became a key part of the Washington offense once Marcus Mariota replaced Jayden Daniels (ribs). Even though Ertz was productive with Daniels, he seemed to have a strong connection with Mariota, as he finished with the third-most targets and second-most yards on the team. The 33-year-old has now tallied double-digit PPR points in back-to-back games and remains a solid low-end TE1 heading into Week 8.

From RotoBaller

Ben Sinnott Oct 20 7:40pm ET
Ben Sinnott

Washington Commanders rookie tight end Ben Sinnott caught his first two passes in the NFL and found the end zone in their Week 7 victory over the Carolina Panthers. The Kansas State product found the end zone in the third quarter on a three-yard pass from Marcus Mariota, which extended their lead to an impressive five scores. The second-round selection in this year's draft has been held off the scoresheet through the first six weeks but was finally able to make an impact. For now, fantasy managers in redraft formats should leave Sinnott on the waiver wire, but if he continues to see an increasing role in the offense, he could be worth a speculative stash in deeper formats.

From RotoBaller

Dalton Kincaid Oct 20 7:40pm ET
Dalton Kincaid

Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid caught three of his six targets for 52 yards in the team's 34-10 victory over the Tennessee Titans. The pedestrian total was actually Kincaid's season-high mark for receiving yards, which says a lot about his production so far this season. Kincaid was about a yard away from scoring a touchdown in the third quarter. Josh Allen found Ty Johnson two plays later for the score. With Amari Cooper now on the roster, Kincaid drops to the third option in the passing game. He'll be a low-end TE1 against the Seattle Seahawks next weekend.

From RotoBaller

Marcus Mariota Oct 20 7:30pm ET
Marcus Mariota

Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota went 18-for-23 with 205 yards and two passing scores in relief of Jayden Daniels (ribs), who left the game in the first quarter. Mariota added 34 yards on 11 rushing attempts. The veteran QB did not face much trouble in relief as the Commanders were overpowering Carolina the entire evening. The former Oregon product found both tight ends, Zach Ertz and Ben Sinnott, in the end zone. He connected with Terry McLaurin all evening as he finished with a team-high 98 yards on six catches. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor Daniels' status during the week, as Mariota could be in line to start next weekend against the Chicago Bears.

From RotoBaller

Andy Dalton Oct 20 7:30pm ET
Andy Dalton

Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton threw for 93 yards and two interceptions off 11-for-16 passing in Sunday's blowout to the Washington Commanders. Nothing was going right for the Panthers offense in Week 7, resulting in Bryce Young entering late when the game was out of reach. As a result, many wondered if Young would be back under center moving ahead. However, that doesn't appear to be the case, with head coach Dave Canales stating postgame that the team is "committed" to Dalton moving ahead. The veteran signal-caller has played better than expected since taking over for Young, so fantasy managers in multi-QB formats can consider him a starting option in Week 8 against the Broncos.

From RotoBaller

Brian Robinson Jr. Oct 20 7:30pm ET
Brian Robinson Jr.

Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. had a productive day in his return as he tallied 71 yards on the ground off 12 attempts and found the end zone for the sixth time this season. He did not see a target in the passing game. The Commanders got ahead of Carolina quite early and gave their rusher a limited workload in the second half as the game was out of hand. However, the 25-year-old looked healthy after his Week 6 absence due to a knee injury as he reclaimed his typical short-yardage role. Robinson should be locked into all lineups as an RB2 next weekend against the Chicago Bears.

From RotoBaller

Austin Ekeler Oct 20 7:30pm ET
Austin Ekeler

Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler had a quiet showing in their Week 7 dismantling of the Carolina Panthers. Ekeler ran the ball just four times for a mere 17 yards. In the passing game, he brought in both of his targets just three yards. This was his lowest output of the season, both on the ground and through the air. However, the game script for the pass-catching back was not too positive, as the Commanders were up by multiple scores all evening. Fantasy managers in PPR leagues should continue to view Ekeler as a low-end flex option heading into their Week 8 tilt against the Chicago Bears.

From RotoBaller

Terry McLaurin Oct 20 7:30pm ET
Terry McLaurin

Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin led all Washington pass-catchers with 98 yards in their victory over the Carolina Panthers. He brought in all six of his targets, which tied for a team-high. Even though he was without his QB1 through most of the game, the 29-year-old has continued his impressive stretch as he has tallied at least 15.0 PPR points in every game since Week 3. During this span, McLaurin found the end zone four times and has been the clear lead option in the Washington air attack. Fantasy managers should continue monitoring Jayden Daniels' status (ribs) throughout the week, but McLaurin remains a safe, high-end WR2 facing the Chicago Bears next weekend.

From RotoBaller

Dorian Thompson-Robinson Oct 20 7:20pm ET
Dorian Thompson-Robinson

According to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, Cleveland Browns quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (finger) may have avoided a severe injury. However, his availability moving forward will be determined based on "how he responds to treatment and how he can grip a football." With Deshaun Watson (Achilles) going down in the Week 7 meeting with the Bengals, DTR took over under center, throwing for 82 yards off 11-for-24 passing, adding 44 yards off three carries. But after he was injured, Jameis Winston entered the contest. Cleveland will next meet the Baltimore Ravens in Week 8. Still, no matter who is throwing the ball, fantasy managers will have a tough time trusting any Browns quarterback until the offense shows signs of life.

From RotoBaller